Bets on
by adoringhatred
Summary: Cato makes a seemingly easy bet on a new girl, only to discover things are going to get much more complicated.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

CATO

Cato lazed on his bed, throwing a football into the air before catching it again.

"Where was Columbus intending to go?" His friend Marvel asked, sat on his desk chair, spinning slowly. Cato sighed in frustration, he'd been so far behind in his classes he had no clue who Columbus was, or where the hell he was intending to go?! Just as Marvel opened his mouth to ask the question again a loud noise outside pulled both the boys attention.

Cato scrambled from his bed to the large window to see a large moving van pulling up next door, the wrecked house had recently been fixed up and a man got out of the van and unlocked the door to the house. "K, you coming?!" He yelled back towards the seats of the van. There was no response for a few moments until a loud "No!" responded, a hooded figure jumped out of the passengers seat, grabbed a suitcase and stormed into the house, slamming the door behind them.

Cato looked back over to find his friend packing up his bag. "Where you off to?" Cato questioned. "I've gotta go meet someone." Marvel responded, before Cato could question him any further his friend had already rushed out of the door, incredibly quickly. Cato shrugged before propping himself against his bed board once more, throwing his football, lazily staring out the window at the light just turned on in the room directly across from his.

KATNISS

Katniss hit the light switch and threw her bag onto the bed laid out before her. Why did they have to move here, to California of all places! She'd been fine until her dad had found our she had been smoking with some of her friends behind the bike shed, It was such a cliché she'd been astounded at how surprised he was. But hey, It's a perfectly decent reason to uproot and move to a stupidly posh house in California.

She sat on the corner of her bed, playing with her braid, I guess it's not that bad? She though to herself. She pulled the curtains open and stood up the window to peer outside. There was a window directly across from her, curtains drawn with the lights on. Probably just an old family or something like that. She began to unpack her bags and put her stuff into drawers messily.

CATO

Cato woke up early in the morning, stretched and chucked on some shorts, a t-shirt and his trainers. He checked the time, 6am. Perfect. There would be no one around so he could finish his morning run alone. He heaved his bedroom window open, glanced around and jumped to the ground. It wasn't a long drop, the ground outside was sloped so he didn't injure himself. He got to his feet, and started to run.

About a half hour later he arrived at his favourite spot in the forest. There was a clearing and you could see all around, down to the pathway to a lake he'd found and all across the hills. No one else knew about this place, he'd told no one. He climbed up a ledge that led to a small cave he could sit in and still enjoy the view. He sat and watched as a doe walked across a patch of grass a few feet away from him.

THUMP. The doe hit the ground and any other wildlife quickly scarpered. His eyes widened with shock and he backed slightly towards the opening of the cave. A figure approached the deer and leant over it, pulling something out of the struggling creature. What was it? An arrow. The hood fell.

Cato couldn't breathe. A girl, she'd just shot down a huge deer with a bow an arrow. Her dark braid, which curled slightly at the end was in the centre of her back, nestled in the hood that had just fallen, she quickly pulled it back upward. He caught a glimpse of her face, a narrow nose and plump lips. He stepped backwards, onto a twig

KATNISS

Snap! She drew the arrow back in her bow, spinning wildly towards the sound, she crouched slightly, lightening her footsteps. She approached a large rock wall, pulling her hood up slightly so she could see better. The doe behind her attempted to scramble to it's feet and she quickly turned and got out her hunting knife, ending it's struggle. Then she heard it, something running, something large. She turned to realise whatever had concealed itself within the rock face was now running, fast.

She was torn, she looked to her deer, sure that if she left it would be taken by other predators. In a spurred decision she ran, following her sharpened senses to stalk the prey which was fast escaping her.

She arrived back at her house, fifteen minutes later. Defeated, she'd been tracking it and almost caught up with it moments earlier but then it seemed to disappear, into suburban streets. She knew then that she'd lost it. As she slung her bow and arrows into the back of her wardrobe, she heard a noise from outside of her window. She walked over and looked through the curtains to see the usual window with drawn curtains, except this time the window was open with the curtains shifted with a crack in the centre.

She ignored this and quickly changed into her school clothes, ready for her first day of a new type of hell.

CATO

He'd escaped, just about but he was free. He realised she had lost him when he arrived back on the paving slabs of his street. She was amazing. But now, he had to lose the person he was alone and become Cato: the jock and womanizer. He threw on some clothes for school and grabbed his bag, before walking outside to his 'close' female friend's car who'd just pulled up in his driveway. "Laters!" He yelled back into the house before hopping into the car beside Glimmer.

He leant towards her, only to be met last minute by her swiftly turned cheek When he pulled away, they did not say another word to one another until they arrived at school. With which he jumped out of the car to be greeted by his friends, which were also mostly made up of the rest of the football team. "Hey, check out the new girl" Followed by a chorus of whistles as he looked up to the girl getting off of a black motorbike parked in front of the school. As she pulled her helmet off a dark braid fell down to her back, resting on her leather jacket. She turned around, a slight scowl on her bright red lips and put her helmet on the bike.

"Got it." The school quarterback Peeta yelled, strutting over her way. "Reckon he'll do it?" Marvel whispered to Cato. "No way in hell." Cato replied confidently, Cato understood girls, which meant he could have any one he wanted. And surely enough, moments later Peeta came shuffling back, tail in-between his legs and a large red handprint on his cheek. "Ha, Smooth Loverboy!" Cato chuckled at him. Peeta glared, "I'd like to see you do any better Ludwig." "Bring it." Cato retorted. "I bet I can get her to kiss me willingly in a month or less." He said smugly. "Deal, if not you have to streak during this years graduation." Peeta replied, shaking his hand roughly, he turned to walk away, "Bets on."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

KATNISS

Katniss hopped off her bike and pulled off the helmet, she looked around at the teenagers running around her. She put her helmet on her bike and got her bag out of the box. She stood, looking through to make sure she had everything when a shadow came over the contents. "Hey" She looked up to see a blond boy with a cheesy grin staring at her with large blue eyes. She ignored him, getting her phone out of her bag. "So I was thinking you, me, my place after school." She whipped around. "What." She demanded. "I.. I just thought 'cus you..." He drew off. "Because I what? Because I'm new I want to hang out with you, a gross player or one of your crappy friends. I have a job, things I need to do, more important things than whatever it is you guys get up to at 'your place'." He chuckled, and she glared at him in response. "What?" She snapped. "Well if it's money you want..." She cut him off my slapping him harshly across him face, his eyes widened with shock. "Talk to me again and you'll walk away a lot worse, got it." She hissed at him, he turned without another word and walked away.

Katniss sat on the seat of her bike and sighed with relief and frustration, she took another look around at the people milling around, she mentally fixed them into categories. The group of boys in the football jerseys; Jocks and Players, avoid at all costs. The selection of girls surrounded that group, the popular girls, avoid. She continued this mental exercise, sorting people into groups and deciding her interactions with them until she took a glance across to see one of the Jocks staring at her. She glared back and locked eyes with him, she couldn't help but notice the icy blue, shade of his eyes, he smirked and she turned on her heel, grabbing her school bag and her helmet to walk into school.

She walked to the front office, and knocked on the glass window. "Coming!" A cheery voice called out, she took a moment to take in her surrounding before looking at the woman before her, "Hello Deary, how can I help you?" A woman with harsh pink hair and a face covered in makeup asked. "Erm, I'm new?" Katniss replied worriedly. "Ah, yes here is your timetable, and locker number and..." The woman went on handing her pieces of paper, she felt the hairs turn up on the back of her neck. Someone was watching her. "Thank you." She cut off the woman as soon as she'd finished handing her things. "No problem" The woman replied, looking confused. Katniss whipped around, seeing the edge of someone's foot turning away from the office corner. "Some of these children's' manners!" The woman behind the desk said. Katniss walked down the hallway, to her locker.

CATO

Cato had this bet. It was going to be easy at, anyone who knew Cato knew he had girls falling at my feet. Peeta 'Loverboy' Mellark would soon be running past him, naked at graduation. He just had to find his moment, so he followed her, she weaved past people delicately in school. To the front office, talking to Effie, Cato stood at the corner, peering around every few moments, then she stiffened up suddenly. She cut Effie off and spun, he slammed myself around the corner and started moving quickly, to his locker.

Moments later, there she was, looking slightly lost and confused and glancing around at the wall. This was the time this was when he was going to talk to her and.. "Excuse me," Someone interrupted his thoughts. Cato looked down. There she stood, piercing grey eyes, almost alive with some emotion he couldn't quite name. A narrow nose, and plump mouth, she tugged the end of her braid, not breaking eye contact. "Do you know where locker 634 is?" She queried. He leaned back against his locker, "Yep, right there." He jabbed the locker next to him. Just his luck, he would now be able to spark up a conversation any time. "Thanks" She muttered, opening the locker hurriedly, throwing her stuff in and taking out some books.

Cato walked to history, sat at his bench and put his feet on the desk, no one sat next to him, he'd made that perfectly clear when his partner often fell off their chairs, Mr Anderson, or Haymitch as he asked everyone to call him, had brought in new tables twice to ensure no more injuries. She walked into the room, he didn't know a single thing about her but she was beautiful, not like Glimmer who was purely artificial, but she had a fiery-ness to her eyes that was just incredible. She walked straight into the room, looked around and sat down. Next to Cato. Everyone suddenly turned to look at him, he shrugged and went to his bag. Not so subtle whispers spread around the class.

Haymitch walked into the room, late as ususal, "Alright, shut up and sit down now, the person you sit with in your partner for this year. No complaining because, quite frankly, I don't care." With that, Haymitch sat at his desk and began scribbling topics on a sheet of paper, before tearing them up and throwing them into a hat.

KATNISS

She walked to her first lesson, History with Mr Anderson, written underneath was (Haymitch) But she didn't fully understand that, as she walked into the room she noticed there was only one seat in the room, next to one of the jocks, she internally sighed, before walking confidently and sitting next to him without a word. The atmosphere of the room seemed to change as all of the people's attention shifted towards her. Something happened and people began to whisper in small groups. Around twenty minutes late, the teacher walked into the room, announcing her to be partners with the large boy sat next to her.

She took a moment to take in his appearance, light blond hair, piercing blue eyes, well built torso and arms. "See something you like." He asked cockily. "I've seen better." She retorted. He moved closer to her, a lot closer, she felt his breath hot on her ear "Sure about that?" He asked. "Sure." She squeaked back. Shuffling quickly away, he chuckled slightly, the teacher called her up and she walked to the front desk. "You pick first." He said, holding out a hat filled with slips of paper. She picked one, relatively near the top, "World War II" She read out to him, as he scribbled it on paper next to her name.

"Right, so my house or yours?" She questioned the boy sat next to her. He smirked "Well at least buy me a drink first." He replied. She sighed, "Fine, mine then" He said, scribbling down his address on a piece of paper. The bell rang out and he darted towards her, "See ya then." He whispered in her ear, a shiver travelled down her back. He was dangerous.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, first ever author note, so... this is my first ever fanfiction. Thanks to all of the readers, if you can read and review **

**that would be great, message me with any suggestions you've got for the story line, Thanks a bunch. Adoring Hatred xoxo**

Chapter 3

KATNISS

Katniss hurried home after school, probably a fair bit over the speed limit. She didn't know why but she wanted to get away from Cato, she ran into her room and collapsed on her bed. Finally, she had nearly half an hour before she had to see that ass again! She pinned the crumpled edge of paper to her notice board, not bothering to glance at it in any great detail. She took off her jacket, hanging it back up in her wardrobe. She flicked through some items of clothing before selecting an outfit, laying it out and jumping into the shower.

Katniss ran back upstairs. Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could she forget his address, she ran back downstairs to her bike, opening the crumpled piece of paper, now she was going to be so la... What? The address; 68 Barnfield Close, it was right next door. She turned slightly to look at the house to her right. How did she not notice that her tormentor had lived next door to her!?

She took a deep breath and pressed lightly on the buzzer, a loud ringing echoed from behind the door. Through the glass screen of the door, Katniss saw a figure approaching. "Hello, you must be Katniss," a slender woman remarked, with eyes echoing her son's almost perfectly. "Cato's just up in his room, first door on the right." She gestured to the staircase. Katniss nodded at her, slightly puzzled that this woman could be related to Cato.

Katniss followed the staircase, she noticed the door was slightly open to the room described as his, she peeked through the opening. There he stood, Cato, pulling a plain white shirt on, over his head. Her eyes couldn't help but to drift down to his impressively sculpted chest. She felt her cheeks burn and realised she had been staring, she mentally scolded herself before stepping backwards and knocking lightly.

CATO

Cato pulled a new shirt over his head, thinking about the girl who would shortly be arriving. At that precise moment, a tapping was at the door, he spun around and walked to the door. Cato swung the door open and leant against the frame as the slender girl walked into his room, he subtly took a sweep of her form as she entered. Not bad? He thought to himself. She turned and plopped on the corner of his bed. "Bit forward aren't we?" He teased, sitting down aside her. She glared, looking through her bag, moments later she retrieved a large blue textbook and laid it down on the bed. "Shall we start?"

An hour or so later, Cato was pacing as Katniss scribbled down notes from the textbook, still perched on his bed. He stopped, "Let's do something," he announced. "Like what?" She responded, he was shocked. She hadn't downright rejected him! "Erm..." he scrambled for an idea, "We could play truth or dare?" He suggested hurriedly, Katniss pondered for a moment before closing the book on his bed, sitting up and crossing her legs. "Okay. You first."

"No way!?" Cato yelped, "You have to do it, it's a dare!" Katniss replied. "Fine." Cato pouted, he took his phone out of his bag. "Marvel?" he muttered into the phone, fake-glaring at Katniss "I love you... No it's not a joke, I love you... Okay, fine then bye" He hung up the phone and Katniss burst out laughing, he couldn't help but see how beautiful she looked when she laughed, her whole face lit up.

"Okay, you're turn, truth or dare?" Cato asked. Katniss appeared to think for a millisecond before confidently replying "Truth." "Okay... First Kiss?" Cato asked her. "Hvnthdone" Katniss mumbled, "What?" Cato asked, "I can't understand you?" "I said, I haven't had one." Katniss replied shyly. Cato was taken back, someone as beautiful as her? Did he really just call her beautiful? Never mind, he knew his next move exactly, he just had to make it through to her next dare.

A while later Katniss finally chose "Dare." Cato, shuffled towards her on the bed, he knew he couldn't win the bet now, so he went for the next best thing. "Let me kiss you."

KATNISS

Katniss couldn't believe her ears, she'd been embarrassed enough after he'd asked if she'd kissed anyone, she turned away, only to notice how close he was. "I think I should go now," She stood up and picked up her bag to walk to the door. "See you in school t..." As she reached the door it slammed shut and she was pressed against is my something tense and solid, she looked up slightly to see the brilliant white of a new shirt. "Look at me." Cato whispered to her, she met his eyes, noticing his hands pinning her there, either side of her head. She felt very warm, wishing the window behind him was open higher.

The window, through it she could just about make out hers, his was the room directly across from hers! She jolted back into the current situation by Cato's face blocking out the view of her window, he leant towards her. And although she tried not to, she could tell, she moved ever so slightly towards him. His lips met with hers and it felt... good? They met and parted and she looked at his closed lids and her eyes suddenly felt heavy, just as her eyes began to drift shut and her head tilted ever so slightly towards his, she felt him smirk against her mouth. With that, she snapped out of it, she put a hand on each of his shoulders and firmly pushed him until he was no longer pinning her to the wall.

"I have to, erm go?" She mumbled, before running out of his room, across the front gardens and into her own house, she didn't stop running until she felt the soft cushioning of her bed, she looked across to where she knew Cato would be sat smirking, but she saw him sat on his bed, looking dazed, with his hand to his mouth, she felt her mouth tingle. Brushing off any thoughts of the evening, she quickly changed and got into bed.

CATO

As their lips met, it had felt.. incredible. He'd kissed so many girls before but she, she felt amazing. She didn't kiss back, but he saw her eyes begin to close and as she leant into him, he realised he had the bet in the bag, He could have the girl and get Mellark to eat his words, naked, at graduation. He realised a moment to late my mouth had quirked up into a smile as she pushed me off, mumbled something and ran, seconds later He heard the door slam. Cato's mother came upstairs to ask if everything was ok, he didn't reply but she left shortly after, and he sat, on my bed, hand against his now coconut tasting lips, remembering. h thought to myself, was it really worth Mellark?

'Snap out of it Cato. Of course it is, she's just another dumb chick, we need to tap that and move on.' he told himself.


End file.
